Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I thought you might need a little more convincing about how the farmers market is the best thing around. Well, that and Darryl's working late this week and there's no one else here to listen to me say "I made the best dinner tonight! And last night too. I'm the best. No, wait – it's not me that's the best, it's these veggies!" So, I have a recipe for y'all, 'cause it's just too good to keep to myself.

Spicy Roasted Veggie and Bulger ______ [Casserole? Pilaf? Hot salad? One-pan thingy?... I kind of have an aversion to the words casserole and pilaf, but I'm at a loss as to what else to call this. Ideas?]

2. Boil Water. Remove from heat and add bulger and salt. Stir, cover, and let sit about 20 min (or longer – I let it sit for an hour and a half while I ran away to yoga, and it was perfect when I got back). Set cooked bulger aside for later.

3. Toss the zucchini, onion, garlic, poblanos, and chickpeas into a roasting pan with olive oil and salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until zucchinis are beginning to soften a bit, giving them a quick stir half way through.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together orange juice, spices and fresh herbs. Pour this over the roasting veggies and then roast them a bit longer (about 10 more minutes).

5. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toss chard in, along with a bit of orange juice or water. Stir while it steams, until it is softened to your liking.

6. Remove veggies from oven and add bulger, chard, and feta to the pan. Stir it all together. The feta will melt a bit and the bulger will heat. I was going to put it all back in the oven for a bit (making it a true casserole?) but it really didn't seem necessary.

7. Serve topped with fresh chopped tomatoes. Mmmm, mmmm, mmm.

I feel like with my fridge full of delicious, so so fresh, local tasty things, I can create anything in the world and it will be awesome. I don't even feel like opening a cookbook. The veggies just send my imagination running.

And even the most basic or classic things turn out wonderfully as well. Like the second photo above – last night's dinner. I had bought a bag of fresh chanterelle mushrooms and needed to use them up while they were at their delicate best. I started by frying half a sliced red onion and some chopped garlic in butter and olive oil. Then I added chicken slices and fried it all for a while. Then in went the chantrelles and some more butter (of course, butter and chanterelles = heaven!). I served this atop polenta, with a simple salad of greens and heirloom tomatoes from the market. For dressing I just squeezed half a lemon and whisked it with olive oil and fresh basil. A quick but rich and utterly delicious meal.

I'm beginning to believe that September's an alright month after all. What are your favourite September eats?

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About WeDine

It all started with friendly Friday potlucks as beleaguered design students in search of a home-cooked meal, and upon graduation evolved into Wednesday Dinners, a mid-week refuge from work. After a few months we realized we were improving and had begun to think of food in new ways. We wanted to document these successes (and sometimes, failures) – and thus was born WeDine.

Here's how it works: each Wednesday, we discuss our current cravings, take inventory of what's on hand, meet at a market to gather fresh ingredients which will complete our improvised menu, and finally head home to cook together.

(Oh, and by the way, we now document all our food loves and adventures here!)